002 Food Gathering

[Ping! Used 1 Quintessence. Acquired 1 Player.]

"…"

"Kyu?"

WHAT!?

I stared at the rabbit. The rabbit stared back.

The air in the cave felt different. Though I lacked a cultivation base, I could sense something changing. An invisible energy swirled around the small creature, something intangible yet profound.

It was growing.

Not in size, but in presence.

Its previously vacant black eyes now gleamed with something sharp. Something wise.

I squinted.

"B-But… But… but—but…"

But WHAT?!

Did I just waste my only Quintessence… on a rabbit!?

I wanted telekinesis! I wanted OP abilities! I wanted something that would let me defy the heavens!

And instead…

I got a meaty, adorable, useless rabbit.

FUCK.

This was—this was not a stupid mistake.

This was a helpless mistake.

But STILL.

The rabbit—no, the player—suddenly hopped toward me, its movements fluid, confident. There was no hesitation in its approach. It looked at me, ears perked, eyes brimming with understanding.

It was no longer just an animal.

I felt it.

And that made me want to eat it even more.

The damn thing stood right next to me, tilting its tiny head in what I could only describe as annoyingly adorable curiosity.

My gaze flickered toward the chest in the corner of the cave—the one filled with old Fu Shi’s weapons.

A spear leaned against its flank, and for a brief moment, I imagined what I could have done instead.

One quick stab.

One well-aimed thrust.

One delicious roasted rabbit.

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside—

The rabbit flinched.

It understood.

Oh?

I narrowed my eyes. "You understood that, didn't you?"

The rabbit stiffened slightly, then let out a soft, "Kyu…" as if… pleading.

I exhaled sharply.

Damn it.

The intelligence in its eyes made it feel wrong to eat it now.

I could kill a beast without hesitation.

But killing something conscious?

Something self-aware?

Ugh.

Yuck.

I shivered at the thought. No, I couldn’t. That would be too weird.

Fine. I’ll keep it alive. For now.

I folded my arms and looked at it.

"If you're so smart now, then get me food."

I didn't expect much.

Then—

[Ping! Giving Quest… ‘Food Gathering!’]

My head snapped up.

Huh?

The rabbit blinked at me, then hopped away.

I stared after it, processing what had just happened.

Did… did my system just gave her a quest?

I waited a few more seconds, then let out a slow, deep breath.

"…Maybe this isn't so bad after all."

THIRTY-TWO HOURS LATER…

I take it back.

This is bad.

This is very bad.

I lay flat on the cold, hard cave floor, staring at the ceiling, my stomach screaming in protest.

The rabbit never came back.

I should have stabbed it.

I should have stabbed it.

I groaned, clutching my empty stomach. "Ugh, such bad luck!"

The worst part?

I had spent the last several hours scouring the area for food.

Nothing.

Not a single fruit. Not a single edible herb. Not even an insect.

This mountain was barren—a wasteland disguised as a paradise. It had rich qi, sure. Ancient formations, definitely.

But food?

None.

I sat up, rubbing my temples.

"In my past life, I read so many cultivation novels…" I muttered, sighing. "Even now, I still don’t get it. Why do master cultivators always isolate themselves in mountains like this?"

They had no convenience stores.

No fast food chains.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

No farming.

No restaurants.

Were they all just drinking air and eating qi for centuries?

I groaned, forcing myself to stand.

"I can’t stay here."

I made up my mind. I was leaving.

Yes, this place had protective formations that kept enemies away. Yes, it was a cultivator’s paradise in theory.

But I wasn’t a cultivator.

I was just a mortal.

And this place had nothing for me.

Cultivators were, in a sense, just sophisticated cavemen.

I had read countless cultivation novels back in my past life, and yet not one of them had convinced me otherwise.

They meditated all day in remote mountains, secluded from civilization, hoarding their precious qi like it was some divine treasure. They ignored simple pleasures like good food, entertainment, and hygiene.

Most NEETs and shut-ins were more respectable than these uncultured barbarians!

At least they knew how to bathe and entertain themselves.

I sighed.

This place was boring me to death.

Aside from the rich vital qi filling the air, this mountain had nothing. No food. No company. No internet. Just a bunch of old formations left behind by Fu Shi, making it a perfect place for cultivators—but not for me.

And yet, despite my complaints, my body betrayed me before I even reached the foot of the mountain.

My legs shook after taking less than a hundred steps.

I groaned.

I had planned to set up some traps in the nearby forest to catch rabbits for food. But given my frail physique, that plan was looking more impossible by the second.

Honestly?

I was developing a grudge against rabbits.

"Huff… Huff…"

My breath came in ragged gasps, my vision swam, and exhaustion gnawed at my bones. Hunger, too, was making its presence painfully known.

I gritted my teeth, pressing on—

Steeling my resolve, I stumbled toward the cave entrance, determined to abandon this mountain and—

Thud.

I froze.

A small thump echoed from outside.

Then—

Jump. Jump. Jump.

A familiar white figure hopped into view.

The rabbit was back.

She bumped against my foot.

It was definitely the same bunny.

The same one.

The one I had so generously refrained from eating.

She stood there, staring up at me with her beady black eyes, small paws outstretched.

In those tiny paws were berries.

"Kyuuu!"

She chirped in greeting.

…Look at that.

A cute little bunny.

Should I stab it?

I was tempted.

Very tempted.

But… those dazzling eyes.

I felt something as I stared at the little creature—an odd connection, an instinctual understanding of her emotions.

She was proud.

Excited.

And maybe just a little bit worried about me.

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Fine, I won’t kill you." I crouched down, plucking half of the berries from her tiny paws. "But don’t get me wrong. You were still my reserve food."

The bunny did not flinch.

Instead, she simply beamed up at me, as if she had already won.

I nibbled on a berry, then another, trying not to devour them all in one go.

[Ping! ‘Food Gathering!’ Accomplished!]

My lips twitched.

The bunny’s ears perked, and she skipped around joyously at the sound of the system notification.

Could… she hear it too?

Or maybe, after becoming a player, she had a system of her own?

That made sense, didn’t it?

I had envisioned this world as a game. A world where players could grow and change.

If this bunny was my first player, then maybe… just maybe…

The system hadn’t failed me after all.

I chuckled, watching the bunny bounce around.

I lifted the remaining berries in my palm. "The other half is yours," I told her, shamelessly acting as if I had gathered them in the first place. "Take it, little bunny."

I had stopped thinking of her as just ‘it’ or ‘rabbit.’ She was now ‘her.’

And she was now ‘bunny.’

The bunny tilted her head.

Then—she shook her head.

She raised her paws again, pushing the berries toward me.

"Kyu?"

I blinked.

…Was she telling me to eat it all?

"Kyu-kyu-kyu!"

She chirped insistently, nodding her head as if trying to push her point across.

I frowned.

Could I… understand bunny now?

I wasn’t sure how, but through this odd, almost psychic connection, I felt what she was trying to say.

"Eat! Eat! Get stronk!"

At least, that was the general message I got.

I chuckled.

"What a good little rabbit."

She beamed.

"Alright, alright! If you insist."

I ate the remaining berries, feeling the sweet, tart flavor revive a sliver of my strength.

Then—

The bunny opened her mouth.

And revealed more berries.

She had stuffed her cheeks full of them.

Like a tiny, furry storage pouch.

She spat them into her paws and once again pushed them toward me.

I stared.

The bunny stared back.

I swallowed.

My heart was… moved.

Though a tiny part of me was suspicious.

I mean… where had she stored those berries again?

…You know what?

I didn’t care.

I reached out and grabbed them, smiling.

"You are a good bunny."

This bunny was incredibly resourceful and smart.

Only now did I think to check her gender.

I suppose I had just assumed she was female. Stereotypes, I guess. Bunnies always seemed feminine to me—small, cute, and adorable. That was why I had been calling her ‘her’ this whole time.

But I needed to confirm.

I picked her up, turned her over, and inspected her nether regions.

"Hmm… oh."

Yep. Definitely a she.

The bunny twitched, giving me a look that could only be described as, "What the hell, old man?"

I coughed awkwardly and set her down.

"Just had to make sure."

She huffed.

To distract from the awkwardness, I grabbed another berry and popped it into my mouth.

…It was slimy.

The realization hit me.

These berries had been in her mouth.

I shuddered but persevered. Food was food. Wasting it wasn’t an option.

One by one, I forced myself to eat every last berry. Sliminess be damned.

And finally, after finishing the last one, I felt a small, but noticeable surge of energy return to my body.

I sighed in relief.

Then, with a thought, I summoned my system interface.

----------------------------------------

[SYSTEM STATUS]

[Name: Fu Shi]

[Quintessence: 1]

[Players: 1/1]

----------------------------------------

"Huh…"

So, after 24 hours, I had gained one quintessence.

That was useful to know.

I looked down at the bunny, who was staring up at me expectantly.

She had fed me when I was weak. Helped me survive.

I could not, in good conscience, do nothing for her in return.

And now that I knew how to use quintessence, I knew exactly what I had to do.

Quintessence was more than just energy—it carried memory, life, and experience.

With it, I could help her grow.

I wanted this bunny to break free from the limitations of her species.

I sat down in a lotus position, focusing my mind.

The system…

It wasn’t just mine.

It belonged to my players too.

And I needed to decide how it would work.

I imagined it like a game.

A world where players could progress, gain strength, and carve their own paths.

And for my first player—this little bunny—I wanted her to ascend to the heavens.

Okay, maybe that was too ambitious.

At the very least, I wanted her to become strong. Strong enough to hunt, fight, and survive.

I opened my eyes.

"Little bunny," I said softly, "thank you for the berries."

She tilted her head.

For the first time, I thought about her name.

I couldn’t just keep calling her ‘bunny’ forever.

Delving into old Fu Shi’s memories, I searched for a name that felt right.

"Bi Yuan," I murmured.

Yes. That would do.

I smiled, reaching out to pat her head.

"From now on, your name will be Bi Yuan," I declared. "I’ll call you Yuan’er. Is that alright with you?"

She blinked.

Then—

"Ku-kyuuu~"

She nuzzled into my arms.

I chuckled, stroking her soft fur.

It seemed I didn’t have to worry—she liked it.

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[PING! GIVING QUEST… ‘FOOD GATHERING!’]

----------------------------------------

I gave Bi Yuan another quest, which she accepted without hesitation.

She happily bounded away, rushing downhill to complete her task.

I watched her go, a small smile tugging at my lips.

"Good bunny," I whispered.

Then, I turned away and made my way back to my cave.

----------------------------------------

The hunger pangs were still painful, but I endured.

A day passed.

And then—Bi Yuan returned.

This time, she carried a makeshift pouch made of leaves, filled with a bountiful supply of berries.

I blinked in surprise.

"You made this?"

She puffed out her chest.

I laughed. "Yuan’er is so smart. Good girl."

She beamed.

This continued for a week.

Every day, Bi Yuan grew smarter.

She started with just berries, but soon, she improved her methods.

She made traps.

At first, they were simple.

But day by day, she refined them.

I only had to teach her once, and she mastered the skill.

Now, she could catch small animals at her leisure.

I marveled at her growth.

It was like watching a game character level up in real-time.

She was no longer just a rabbit.

She was a hunter.

And then—one day—

She proudly dragged in her latest catch.

I stared.

There was a wild chicken.

A fox.

And…

No rabbits.

I looked at her. "No bunnies, huh?"

She stared back.

For a long moment, we were silent.

Then, Bi Yuan slowly shook her head.

I chuckled. "Fair enough."

She might have been a predator now, but I supposed even a hunter had limits.

And maybe—just maybe—she had a soft spot for her own kind.